As a method for forming digest images of moving images, a method has been usually known that frames are equally dropped and displayed by, for instance, the quick feed reproduction of a VTR or a display speed is manually adjusted by using a variable speed reproduction such as a jog shuttle dial or the like.
Further, as a method for forming a digest edition of a television program or the like, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. hei 3-90968 proposes a technique that an editor previously views images to decide a priority such as a degree desired to be preferentially displayed for each of frames of the images and a degree desired to be displayed in a digest for a long time or the like, and allocates the priority to each of the frames to obtain the digest edition within a designated time.
However, in the quick feed reproduction, the frames are equally dropped irrespective of the contents of the images, so that necessary frames have been undesirably dropped out. On the contrary, unnecessary frames have been inconveniently displayed. Further, in the variable speed reproduction such as the jog shuttle dial, the images can be displayed at speed adapted to the interest or the degree of understanding of a user (a viewer). However, all of the moving images have needed to be undesirably edited by a manual operation for a long time.
Further, in the method that the editor previously views the images and allocates a priority to each of the frames to form the digest images, considerable time and labor have been disadvantageously needed for an operation for forming the digest images.
Thus, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. hei 6-165009 proposes a technique that the states of images are estimated from input signals of buttons such as start/end of image recording, zooming, fading, focusing, exposure, white balance, shutter speed, etc., which are employed upon photographing and priorities corresponding to the states are set to select display images or display speed and thus form digest images.
According to this technique, the digest images representing the intention of photographing can be formed without previously allocating the priorities or manually operating the priorities upon displaying a digest.
However, according to the technique disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. hei 6-165009, the priority showing the importance of an image is selected and calculated from the input signal of a zooming button or the like to form the digest images during picking up images by an image pick-up device such as a video camera. The digest images are not formed from images broadcast by, for instance, a television.
Therefore, this technique meets a purpose that an editor grasps the contents of moving images for a short time, however, cannot meet the request of an ordinary user (a viewer) who desires to view important images for a long time, or desires to prevent the important images from being overlooked, separately from the images broadcast by the television.